Rev. James D. Hyder, Sr.

The Rev. James D. Hyder, Sr. died in his sleep in the early morning hours of April 20, 2023.
He was born in Chester, S.C. on Sept. 8, 1929, and moved with his family to Anderson, S.C. in 1940 where he later graduated from Boys High School in 1946. He played football at Clemson under coach Frank Howard for a couple of years before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in which he served during the Korean War, stationed in Tokyo, Japan, until 1954 when he received an honorable discharge and returned to Clemson to complete his B.S. degree in 1956. He married Jane Glenn, of Anderson, in 1955 and following graduation from Clemson began a career in the meat packing and grocery business. While living in Charleston, S.C. he received and answered the call to ministry, and attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University, receiving an M.Div. in 1968. He was ordained as Elder in the United Methodist Church. He served appointments in the North Georgia conference during his career, including in the early 1970s as the first Administrator of St. John Towers in Augusta and finally as pastor of Liberty United Methodist Church in Hephzibah where he served for over 25 years after his first retirement, finally re-retiring at the age of 90. From 1995 to 2019 he loved to play weekly golf with “The Geezers” at Forest Hills Golf Course.

He is survived by his devoted spouse Jane Glenn Hyder; his son, James D. Hyder, Jr.; his former daughter-in-law, Jeanne McEachern Hyder; his granddaughters Kathleen (“Kate”) Hyder Zepernick and Martha (“Mattie”) Glenn Hyder; his son-in-law Richard Gustav Zepernick IV (“Trey”); great-grandsons Richard Gustav (“Gus”) Zepernick IV and John McEachern (“Mac”) Zepernick, all of Augusta. He was preceded in death by his parents Arnold Graham Hyder and Kathleen Espey Hyder Boyd of Anderson, S.C., and his brothers Arnold (“Buddy”) Hyder, Alexander (“Alec”) Hyder, George E. Hyder, and Marion Hyder, all of Anderson, S.C.

Following a private family graveside service, a memorial service will be held at Liberty United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall immediately following. Those wishing to honor his life may make a donation to his favorite charity, the Georgia Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com